Flying machine



L. SCHAEFFER.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE S. I92I.

Mtented (IGI. 39 IIQZ.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L. SCHAEFFEH.

FLYING MACHINE. v APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1921.

l y L, 1 29 ,Panted Oct. 3, 1922,.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' able for causingl eac @aurea bei., 3, 1922.

- STAT LEoNsciaaErrnn., or BROOKLYN, NEW remi.

FLYING MACHINE.

Application led `lune 8, 1921. Serial No. 475,903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Laon SoHArirrnR, a citizen of the United States, anda. resident of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements ina Flying Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspeciication.

This invention relatesniore particularly to a class of aeroplanes.

My invention has for its object primarily toy provide a ,flying machineor aeroplane adapted to be employed for carrying persons in the air, andwhich is of a type whereby the machine 4may be so operated that it willrise directly or rise on such an` incline from its landing that therequirement for driving it considerable ydistance on the landing to takethe customary gradual climb will be avoided, the machine also beingdriven by pairs of propellers, in order to obtain unusual speed, besidesserving to revent tendency of the machine from shifting to dangerouslateral inclines when moving through the air. The invention consistsessentially of rotatably mounting on a flying machine of a suitable typeone or more propellers adapted to be driven for lifting the machine inthe air from its landing, and also mounted on the ship may be one pairor a number of pairs of propellers adapted to be operated in unison fordriving the machine. The propellers for raising the machine are firstdriven independentl at a high speed and. when the machine is e evated toa desiredA height the driving propellers are operated. all thesepropellers being driven by mechanism operated by the engine of themachine. The mechanism has separately operable parts so that when thedriving propellers are driven raising propellers may be reduced toprevent tendency to retard the forward movement of the machine whilestill serving to assist in maintaining the machine in the air.Associated with the' mechanism is a controller or switch which 'ismanuallyadjustpart of the mechanism lto be cut-in and cut-out ofoperation bythe engine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flying machine of asimple, eilicient and durable construction.

With these and other objects in view, the

the speed of the invention will be hereinafter more particularlydescribed with reference to the accompanying, drawings forming a partofthis specification in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views, and will then be pointed out inthe claims at the end of the description.

i'n the drawings, Figure 1 is atop plan, partly broken away, of one formo flying machine embodying my invention.-

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the machine, partly broken away andpartly fragmentary, with the fuselage removed therefrom. y

Fig.` 3 is an enlarged top plan, partly fragmentary, of the mechanismemployed in the machine inl conjunction with thc engine.

Fig. d is an venlarged plan of one of the propellers used for raisingthe machine.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged end-view et one o the propellers used' for drivingthe machine.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged end view of one or the steering propellersemployed on the machine, and

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the steering propeller.

rThe machine may be in the form of an .aeroplane of the usual or anypreferred type having a fuselage 10, one or two planes', as 11, 12, andat the rear of the machine may be the usual tail, as 13, whileinteriorly of the fuselage may be provided any suitable make of engine,as 13, for driving the machine through the air.

When the machine is provided with the two spaced superimposed planes 11and 12 in the end parts of the upper plane 12 are journaled twovertically disposed shafts, as 14 and 15, both of which are of lengthsso that their lower` ends extend in proximity to the lower plane 11,while the upper ends of the shafts extend considerable distances abovethe upper plane. 0n theparts of each of the shafts 14 and 15 above theplane 12 may be one or a number of propellers 16. 16a, 16". Thesepropellers are of sizes and. their blades are arranged for serving whenrevolved to cause the machine to be raised from its landing, and on thelower ends of the shafts 1a and 15 are'bevel gears 17 and 17a. L v

In the forward endpart of the fuselage 10 is journaled a shat '18 havingits ends extending laterally rom the sides of the fuselage, and on theprotruding ends of this shaft are held a pair of propellers 19 and 20.In the rear end part of the fuselage is journaled a shaft 21 having itsends projecting also laterally from the sides of the fuselage, and onthe extending ends of the shaft 21 are held another pair of propellers22 and 23. The pairs of propellers 19, 20 and 22, 23 are of sizes aswell as being of forms adapted to `propel the machine forward whererevolved. l

Above the central part of the fuselage 10 may be rotatably mounted ashaft 24 'on which is held a propeller 25 of a form adapted when drivento cause the machine to travel rearwardly. All of the propellers are'adapted to be driven by the engine of the machine through the medium ofa common mechanism, as 26.

The-mechanism 26 may be of any suitable type, though the formillustrated includes a Lmain drive shaft' 27 and an auxiliary driveshaft 28. The main shaft 27 is driven direct by the engine 14, and thisshaft is vertically disposed as well as being of a length so that itextends above the fuselage 10 and above the plane 11. On the upper endof the main shaft is a bevel gear-29, and. in mesh with this gear is abevel gear 30 held on one end of the auxiliaryk drive shaft 28 whichisjournaled ina bearing 30 provided so that the auxiliary shaft islongitudinally disposed. The bevel gears 29 and 30 are of correspondingsizes so that the speed of the auxiliary shaft will be the same as 'thespeed of the main shaft when driven. On the central part of theauxiliary shaft 28 is a large gear 31, and on the second end of thisshaft 1s a wide gear or pinion 32. In spaced relation to the auxiliaryshaft 28 is a longitudinally disposed shaft 33 -which is journaled inone or more bearings 34, and this shaft is of a length so that'itextends from spaced proxl imity to the bevel gear 29 of the main driveshaft 27 to close proximity to thebevel geark 17 of the vertical shaft14 of the raising propellers. On one end 'of the shaft 33 is held abevel gear 35 which meshes with the bevel gear 16 of the shaft 14, andon the second end of this shaft 33 is a gear 36 meshing with a gear 37held on oneend of. a longitudinally disposed shaft 38 which extends inclose proximity to the vertical shaft 15. The longitudinal shaft 38 isjournaled in one or more bearings 39, and also on this shaft is a bevelgear 40 which is in mesh with the bevel gear 17a of the vertical shaft15'. Slidably keyed on the central part of the shaft 33 is a pinion 41and a large gear 42 which is of a diameter preferably corresponding tothe diameter of the gear 31 of the auxiliary shaft 28. The pinion 41 isadapted to be moved into and out of mesh with the large gear 31 of theauxiliary shaft 28, and the large gear 42 is adapted to be moved intoand out of mesh with the wide gear 32 of the auxiliary relation to theshaft 33, and on one end of the shaft 44 is a4 sprocket 45. The sprocket45 carries a sprocket chain' 46 which also passes over a sprocket 47held on a short shaft 48 which is journaled in the forward part of thefuselage 10, and also on theshaft` 48 are two grooved pulleys 49 and 50.On the shaft 18 of the pair of driving propellers 19 and 20 is a pulley51, and over this pulley as well as over the pulley 49 passes a belt 52.Un the shaft 2l of the driving propellers 22 and 23 is a pulley 53 andpassing over this ulley and over the pulley 50 is a belt54. En the shaft44 is held a gear 55 which isof a diameter corresponding to the diameterof the Wide gear 32, and the gear 55 is also approximately one-half thewidth of the gear 32. The ears 32 and 55 are spaced apart suiiicientistance so that the large gear 42 may be moved into mesh with bothof thegears 32 and 55 at the'same time.` J ournaled in a bearing 56 is a shaft57 which is 'spaced belovv7 the shaft 33 and under the pinion 40 andgear 42. 0n one end of the shaft 57 is a gear 58 which is one-half thewidth of the gear 32 as well as being on alinement with one-half of thegear 32 so that the large'gear 42 of the shaft 33 may be adjustablymoved first into mesh with the gear 55 and with half of the gear32 andinto mesh at the same time with the gear 58. At the other end of theshaft 57 is a pulley 59, and on the -shaft 24 of the propeller 25 is apulley 60.

Passing overthe pulleys 59 and 60 is a belt 61, and by thisarrangementwhen the gear 42 is moved into mesh with the'gear 58 and with the secondhalf of the gear 32 the art of the mechanismwhich drives the mac ineforward Will'be cut-out, and the propeller 25y y i drive gears that thesets of raisingpropel- 1ers 16, 16, 16'J will first b e driven at a highspeed, then reduced in speed Awith the subsequent -driving of the pairsof propellers 19, 20 and 22, 23. In order to permit the pinion -one-halfof the gear 32, after which the gear 42 may be moved into mesh with theother 41y and drive gear 42 to'be adj ustably moved ,on the shaft 33 forcausing the parts ofthe mechanism 26 to be cut-in and cut-out acontroller 62 is provided.' The controller 462 may be in the form of abar or lever havin one of its ends pivotally held in anylwel knownmanner to. a sleeve 63 which' is attached to the pinion 41 and gear 42so that this sleeve, the pinion 41 and gear 42 -may revolve with therotation of the shaftl 33 without revolving the lever.

'.lo start the machine in motion from its landing the controller orlever 62 is manually shifted for causing the pinion 41 to mesh with thedrive gear 31 after starting the engine 13a for driving the main shaft27. rlhe rotation of the main shaft with driving of the bevel gear 29will be imparted to the bevel gearv 30, auxiliary shaft 28, wide gear 32and drive gear 31. The rotation of the drive gear 31 will then beimparted to the pinion 41, shaft 33, drive gear 42 and gear 36. 'lhegear 36 will drive the pinion 37, shaft 38, and with the rotation of theshafts 33 and 38 in unison the bevel gears 35 and 40 of these shaftswill revolvev the bevel. gears 17 and 17al for driving the verticalshafts 14 and 15. Both sets' of the propellers 16, 16a, 16" will therebybe driven at a high speed for causing the machine to rise in the air toa suitable height. The machine ypeller -25 in a is then operated totravel forwardly by shifting the controller 62,'pinion 41 and drive gear42 on the shaft 33 so that the pinion is out of mesh with the drive gear31V and so that the gear 42 is in mesh with one-half of they wide gear32 and with the gear 55. The rotation of the main shaft 27 willthen beimpartedto the bevel gears 29 and 30, au-xiliary shaft 28, lgear 31,wide gear 32, drive gear 42 and gear 55 which in turn will revolve theshaft 44, sprocket 45, sprocket chain 46, sprocket 47, shaft 48, pulleys49 and 50, belts 52 and 54, pulleys 51 and 53, shafts 18 and 21, andboth pairs of the propellers 19, 2O and 22, 23, will be simultaneouslydriven. The gear- 55 being considerably smaller than the gear 42 theseparts of the mechanism for driving the propellers 19, 20 and 22, 23 willbe operated at a high speed for causing fast forward travel of themachine, and the speed f the sets of the raising propellers 16, 16, 16bwill be reduced by reason of freeing the enl gagement of the pinion 41with the drive gear 31, the gear 32 being relatively smaller than thergear 42 to accomplish the required reduction of the speed of theraising propellers, in order to assist in maintaining the machine in theair as well as tending to avoid possible lateral tilting of the machine.en it is desired to stop the forward travel of the machine and cause itto travel rear-p wardly, the controller 62 is adjusted to shift thedrive gear 42 into mesh with the second Vhalf of the wide gear 32 andwith the gear 58 of the shaft 57. The operationI of the main shaft 27 ofthe engine will then be imparted;l to the bevel gears 29 and 30, auX-iliary shaft 28, gear 31, wide gear 32,drive shaft 42, gear 58, shaftA57, pulley 59, belt 61, pulley" 60, and shaft 24 for driving the pro- Idirectionto cause rearward travel 'of the machine. To enable" the maalsoextends to -machine of a type adapted to chine, to make a safe landingthe engine is operated so that the parts of the mechanism 26 will drivesets of the propellers 16, 16", 16b at a speed for taking the air tocounterbalance in part the weight of the machine, in order that it willdescend gradually, the operation of the driving propellers 19, 20, 22,23 being slowed or stopped entirely according to the requirement formaking either a gradual or a direct descent. Encircling the fuselage 10may be a chamber, as 63", in the form of a continuous pipe or shell forbeing lled with gas or air through the valve, as 63", to sufficiently odset the weight of the@ machine so that it will tend to readily rise inthe air when the sets of the Y propellers 16, 16a, 16b are driven aswell as serving to assist in permitting the machine to be maintainedafloat in the air.

At the rear of the machine may be provided an apparatus, as 64, to allowthe machine to be steered in right and left directions When desired. Theapparatus 64 consists preferably of two spaced shafts 65 and 7 0, 70, 7O", and as shown in Figl, the rudder blades are arranged so that eachwill take the air `in opposite directions when partly revolved. @n thetops of the hubs of the rudders 70, 70a, 70b are'held cross-arms 71 and72 so that by swinging circumferentially the ends of the arms therudders will turn accordingly. To the ends of the crossarm 71 are heldthe ends of a belt or cable 73 which is of a length so that its centralpart extends to the top of the fuselage 10 nproximity to-the mechanism 26, andthe central part of the belt passes over a pulley,

as 74, adapted to be revolubly moved/by a suitable handle, as 75. Tocross-arm 72 are held the ends of a belt or the ends of 'the' cable 76of a length so that its central part the top of the fuselagev 10 inproiimity to the mechanism 26, and this central part of pulley 77adaptedy to be revolvably adjusted by a second handle 78. When it isdesired to steer the mlachine to the right the handle 75 may be turnedto cause the belt 73 to swing the arm 71 so' that the rudder V67 willrevolve .for its blades to take theI air, and when it is desired tosteer the machine to the left the handle 78 may be turned to cause theAbelt 76 to swing the arm 72 so that the rudder 68 will revolve for itsblades totake 'the air'. Thus I .provide a simple and eicient flyingthat-itv will rise directly or rise on such an incline from its landingthat the necessity the belt is disposed over a be operated so bodied thepreferred form of my invention,

but I -do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I amaware that miodi- ,Y fications may be made therein without departingfroml the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of thisinvention, therefore I reserve to myself the rightv to make such changesas fairly fall within the scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters 1. The combination with a flying machine having an engine invits fuselage, of r'evolv` able propellers on the machine for raising themachine from' its landing, pairs of propellers rotatable on the machine`for driving the machine forwardly, a rotatable propeller on the machinefor driving the machine rearwardly, and mechanism having separatelyoperative parts adapted to be operated by the engine and controllingmeans for said parts whereby the raising propellers will firstbe drivenat a high speed and then at a reduced speed in unison with thepropellers for driving the machine forwardly, and subsequently theforwardly ldriving propellers may be stopped and the propellers fordriving the machine backwardly may be operated jointly with theoperation ofthe raising propellers; L 4 l Y 2. The combination with aiiying machine having an engine in its fuselage, of revolvablepropellers on the .machine for raising the machine from its landing,pairs ofpropellers rotatable on the machine lfor driving the machineforwardly, a rotatable propeller on the machinev for driving the machinerearwardly, mechanism having separately operativeY parts adapted to beoperated by the engine, and controlling means for said parts whereby theraising propellers will first be driven at" a high speed, then at areduced A speed in unison with the ropellers for driving the machineforward after which the forwardly driving propellers may be stopped andthe propellers for drivingthe machine backwardly may be operated jointlywith the operation of the raising propellers, and an adjustablecontroller for-shifting the operation of the part of the mechanism whichdrives the forwardlydriving propellers with the other parts of themechanism.

, 3. The combination with a iiying machine having an en ine, ofrevolvable propellers on the machine or' raising the machinefromlitslanding, airs of propellers rotatable on the machine or drivingthe machine forwardly, gearing adaptedto be driven by the engine,gearing adapted to be driven for driving the propellers t0 raise themachine, and gearing adapted to be driven by the gearing for firstdriving the raising propellers at a high speed and afterward thepropellers for driving the machine forwardly as fwell as causing thespeed of the raising propellers simultaneously to be reduced. Y

4. The combination with a'iiying machine having anl engine, ofrevolvable propellers on the machine for raising the machine from itslanding, pairs of propellers rotatable on the machine for driving themachine forwardly, gearing adapted to be driven by the engine, gearingadapted to be driven for driving the propellers to raise the machine, I

shiftable gearing adapted to be driven by the gearing driven bytheengine for first driv- -ing the raising propellers at a high Ispeed andafterward the propellers for driving the machineforwardly as well assimultaneously causing the speed of the raising propellers to bereduced, and a movable controller for adjusting the shiftable gearingwith the gearing driven by the engine.

5. The combination with a flying machine having an engine, of revolvablepropellers on the machine for raising the machine from its landing,pairs of propellers rotatable on A the machine for driving the machineforwardly, a rotatable propeller on the machine for driving the machinerearwardly, gearing adapted to be driven for driving the propellers toraise the machine, mechanism operable by the gearing driven by theengine for driving the propellers to cause forward travel of .themachine, means also operablel `ing adapted to be driven by the engine,gear-Y machine forwardly as well as maintaining rotation of the raisingpropellers at a reduced speed and subsequently moved for cutting-out ofoperation said mechanism and causing the power of the engine to betransmitted to the propeller for driving the machine backwardly.

6. The combination with a flying machine having an engine, of revolvablepropellers on the machine for raising the machine from its landing,pairs of propellers rotatable'on the machine for driving the machinefprwardly, a rotatable propeller on the machine for driving the machinerearwardly, gearing adapted to be drivenkby theI engine, gearin adaptedto be driven for driving the prope 1ers to raise the machine, mechanismoperableby the gearing driven by the engine for driving ther propellersto cause forward ting-in and cutting-out the coaction of the pellers toraise mechanism operable f be iii'st moved to cause g engine to betransmitted to the i to canse the powerof the engine to be trans- Ypellers to drive the machine forwardly' as vof the machine,

raising propellers, `cause the power of the engine to be trans-L.propellers at a reduced speed and pairs of 4machine for drivingthemachine forwardly,-

travel of the machine, means also.. operable ,sociated withl by thegearing driven by the engine for raising propellers, adapted to be-iirstmoved driving the propeller to cause backward to cause the power fromthe engine to be travel of the machine, shiftable gearing astransmittedto the gearing Jfor driving the sociated with the gearing for drivingtheA raising propellers and then afterward moved raising propellers,adapted to be first moved tocause the power of the engine to be transtocause the power from the engine to be mitted to the mechanism fordriving the transmitted to the gearing for driving theW propellers todrive the machine forwardly as then afterward moved to well asmaintaining rotation of the raising mitted to the mechanism for drivingthe propropellers at the rea-r of the machine, adaptpellers to drive themachine forwardly as ed to be separately adjusted rotatably for well asmaintaining rotation of the .raising steering the machine to the rightdand to the propellers at a reduced speed and subseleft.F quently movedfor cutting-out of operation 9.'l The combination with a flying machinesaid mechanism and causing the engine to be transmitted to the propellerthe machine for raising the machine from its for driving the machinebackwardly, and a landing, pairs of propellers rotatable on the leverassociated with the shift'able gearing, machine for driving the machineforwardly, adapted to be moved for adjusting this gear a rotatablepropeller on the machine for ing to cut-in and cut-out ofcoactionthe'driving the machine rearwardly, gearing mechanism for driving thepropellers which adapted to be driven by the engine, gearing drive themachine forwardly `and for cutadapted to be driven or driving'the prothemachine, mechanism operable by the gearing drivenv by the enshiftablegearing with the means for driv- `ne for driving the pro lilers to causeing the propeller which drives the machine rearwardly. V orward travelofthe mac ine, means alsd 7. The combination with a flying machineoperable by the gearing driven by the enhaving an engine, of revolvablepropellers gine for driving the propeller to cause backonthe machine forraising the machine from ward travel of the machine, shiftable gearitslanding, pairs of propellers rotatable on ing associated with thegearing for driving the machine :for driving the machine' orthe raisingpropellers, adapted to be first wardly, gearing adapted to be driven bythe moved to cause the power from the engine engine, gearing adapted tobe driven for to be transmitted to the gearing for drivdriving thepropellers to raise the machine, ing the raising ropellers, thenafterward by the gearingdriven moved to cause t by the engine fordriving the'propellers to be transmitted to the mechanism for drivcauseJforward travel of the machine, shifting the propellers to drive themachine for 4able-'gearing associated with the gearing for fxwardly aswell as maintaining rotation of driving the raising propellers, adaptedto xthe raisingpropellers at a reduced speed the power fromthe andsubsequently moved for cutting-out of garing for operation saidmechanism and causing the t en moved power of the engine to betransmitted to the propeller for driving the machine backwardly, andpairs of propellers at the rear adapted to be separately adwell asmaintaining rotation of the raising justed rotatably for steering themachine to propellers at a reduced speed,vv and a lever the ri ht and tothe left. v associated with the shiftable gearing, adapt- 10. hecombination with a flying maed to be moved ttor adjusting this gearingvchine having an engine, of revolvable proto cut-in and cut-,out ofcoaction the mechpellers on the machine for raising the maanism fordriving the propellerswlich drive chine from its landing, pairs ofpropellers the machine forwardly Vwith the gearing rotatable on themachine for driving the madrlven by the engine. Y chine forwardly, arotatable propeller on 8. The combination with aiying machine themachine for driving the machine rearhaving' an engine, of revolvablepropellers .on wardly, gearing adapted to be driven by the the machinefor raising the machine from its engine, lgearing adapted to be drivenfor landing, pairs -of propellers rotatable on the driving thepropellers to raise the machine, mechanism operable lby the` gearingdriven gearing adapted to be driven by the engine, by the engine for.driving the propellers to gearinadapted to be driven for. driving thecause forward travel of the machine, means propel ers to raise themachine, mechanism operable by the gearing driven by the engine fordriving the propellers to cause forward. travel .of the machine,lshiftable gearing asdriving the raising propellers,

mitted to the mechanism for driving the proengine for drlving thepropeller backward travel of the machine, shiftable gearing associatedwith the gearing for drivthe gearing'for driving the e power othe-engine to also operable by the gearing driven by the .i

to cause ing ethe ,raising propellers, adapted to be first moved -tocause the power from the engine to be transmitted' to the gearing fordriving the raising propellers, then afterward moved to cause the powerof the engine to be transmitted to the mechanism for driving the4propellers to drive the machine forwardly 'as well as maintainingrotation of the raising propellers at a reduced speed-and subsequentlymoved for 'cutting-out of operation said mechanism and causing the powerof the engine to be transmitted to the propeller for driving the machinebackwardly,

a lever associated with the shiftable gear. ingv adapted to be moved foradjusting this gearing to cut-in and cut-outof ooaction themechanism fordriving the propellers which drive the machine forwardly and for cut;ting-in and cutting-out the coaction of the shiftable gearing with themeans for driving the propeller which drives the machine rearwardly, andpairs of pnopellers at the rear ofthe machine, adapted to be separatelyadjusted rotatably for steering the machine to the right and to theleft.

This specification Signed and witnessed this 7th day 'of June, A. D.1921.

LEON SCHAEFFER.

Witnesses:

B. EMRIGH, J. FREDERICK CRYER.

